The Fallen Celestial Ch. 01

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An outer world soldier's journey back home begins.
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Part 1 of the 8 part series

Updated 09/22/2022
Created 04/29/2013
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Chapter 1 – Lost

"Lexington, awaken."

Lexington opened his eyes and saw the blue of the sky. He clenched his fists and felt small rocks move through his fingers.

Where am I? he wondered.

Soreness coursed through his body. He had no recollection of what happened before he arrived wherever he was. He slowly sat up and felt his head rush. He had no bearings. His white robe was tattered and ripped at the ends. His belt was loose and he felt the coarseness of the small rocks graze against the palms of his hands and the back of his legs. He shook his head.

He panned around and saw only rocks and various desert plants. Shade was sparse, but he realized it was that hot. Although the sun was bearing down on him, he felt no discomfort in its warmth. He decided to stand despite the extra effort it required.

Once on his feet, Lexington tried to lift off the ground. Flying would be much easier than walking, but he could not. Had he lost his ability to fly permanently, he wondered. He assumed that the time was noon by the sun being directly above him. Because of this, he again realized he had no bearings of north or south. He just started walking. The soreness in his right calf was slowing him down. He realized if he kept walking gingerly that he wouldn't walk in a straight pace. He forced his right leg to walk normally while grimacing at the pain.

Being a Celestial, he wasn't accustomed to this sort of muscle soreness. Aside from this, he was also worried that he could not fly nor did he have any recollection of how he arrived in the desert.

Have I fallen? He wondered.

He had also realized that he no longer had Aequitas, his obsidian longsword. Normally, he would be able to summon it at a whim, but no longer. Fear suddenly gripped him. He could no longer fly nor defend himself with a weapon. But what, in this place, would harm him? There's nothing around. There's no one around.

The soreness that originated in his right calf had spread to his entire right leg. The favoring of his left leg started to worry him. He knew that soon he would start walking in circles without any sense of direction and that his left leg would also grow sore.

Fortunately, the sun was towards his back. He knew now that he had been walking east this whole time. Unfortunately, he still had no idea where he was going or how he would return home. To make matters worse, his head and arms were getting increasingly heavy. Thirst and hunger also plagued him. Soreness? Hunger? These sensations were unknown to Celestials. Without a doubt, he knew that he was now a human and he was dying. But at the same time, if he died, would he not simply end up back home with his kin and King?

He didn't know - not for sure at least. The rules with his kind are different than with humans. He worried. Fatigue had set in at this point and he knew it would not be long before he could walk no longer. Despite his dismay, he admired the beauty created by the long shadows cast by the setting sun. His right leg finally gave in and he felt him self fall. Fortunately, the sand was soft. He gave one last passing glance and saw a faint light up ahead, but couldn't make out what it was.

Night had fallen and he could already feel comfort of the cool breeze, but he was still thirsty and hungry. He heard voices.

Delusion setting in, not a good sign he thought.

But the voices were real, he knew this the moment he felt hands upon him.

Then black.

---

Lexington once again opened his eyes. White. His eyes slowly gained focus to the crusty surface of a ceiling of a well-lit room.

"Am I dead" he said aloud.

"No, son, you're very much alive. Drink." replied a husky voice.

Lexington sat up again using more effort than he initially thought he needed. He grabbed the small cup on his bedside table and drank. The water was soothingly cool. The soreness in his arms and back forced him to lie back down.

"Where am I?" Lexington asked.

"You are in the home of Albeus, the lord of Shantei."

Lexington turned to see a tall stocky man with a thick black beard standing erect by the door. He knew that this man had to be a soldier of some sort although he wore no armor, but instead was dressed in thick canvas like material with a sword sheathed at his side.

"Are you Albeus?"

"No, my name is Mardul. I am Albeus' headguard. My men found you wandering in from the Badlands."

Lexington closed his eyes again. The weight of his eyelids was unbearable.

"What, may I ask, were you doing in the Badlands?"

What was I doing? Lexington paused to think. With his eyes remained closed, and he replied "I don't know. I don't remember how I got there."

Mardul gave a slight grunt. "There's no way you could have survived the Badlands for long. I find this hard to believe simply because we are at the very edge of the Badlands."

"What is the Badlands?"

"The Badlands is a vast desert and it is surrounded by the Dead Ocean. Despite it's name, the Dead Ocean has long been plagued by violent storms. Those who favor life know to avoid the Dead Ocean by all means necessary. It is because of the Dead Ocean that the Badlands remains uninhabited save for Shantei. Shantei survives only because of the River Luildel and the few vessels that stop by. It is amazing that you were able to walk out of the Badlands with your life. You must be blessed."

Blessed Lexington thought to himself before passing out.

---

Lexington awoke once again to the white ceiling of the room he had been staying in. The light that poured in from his balcony window was softened by the billowing beige curtains. He sat up and stretched his legs. He felt surprisingly well. He stood up and walked out to the balcony and peered over what was a humble village. There were maybe two dozen homes and a few large town centers. All the buildings were made out of the same white clay that was used to build the large manor of Albeus, lord of Shantei.

The sound of faint moaning echoed from a particular nearby building. It was a bit larger than the other homes. At first, Lexington was alarmed, but then he did vaguely remember of meeting places that humans used in a carnal sense. The particular term escaped him, but he knew the house was used for unbridled pleasure in exchange for goods. He shook his head in disgust.

Another set of moaning and grunting gave Lexington reason to leave over the edge of his balcony. He saw a thinly framed man with a heavyset woman with unsettlingly large breasts.

Fornicators.

Lexington had never witnessed the act of humans engaging in sex, but it was surely an interesting sight. Celestials never engaged in sexual acts due to the lack for need to procreate. Celestials were soldiers for the Omnipotent and had no time for carnal distractions. He leaned himself against the balcony and the adjacent wall and continued to watch the fornicators.

The thin man was standing while squeezing the breasts of the fat woman who was on her back. Her legs were spread while the thin man kept thrusting himself into her. Lexington noticed a swelling in his pants, something new to him though he understood the reaction. The sensation worried him. The more human he was the farther he was from being a Celestial. He turned his focus back on the rest of the village.

At first, Lexington had though Shantei was a city or a nation but it was not so. The walls that surrounded Shantei were a little taller than the average man and were not very thick. There were no gates to the village but instead were simple openings. Lexington was well aware of the brutal and warring nature of man and was surprised to find a village so poorly defended. Shantei was open to attack from anyone. But then again, who would want to attack Shantei? Aside from being a humble village, Shantei was merely the last stop to certain death - that death being the Badlands.

As humble as Shantei was, the village was crowded. He could already tell apart the travelers from the natives. Most of the natives were women and surprisingly beautiful while the travelers well all men and accompanied by camels or horses. The natives were lightly clothed due to the heat and the few travelers were heavily clothed to protect themselves from the weathering desert sands. From his balcony, he could also see the River Luildel and its one bridge. The bridge was oddly thin yet rose very high for such a wide river. He could also see the small empty stretch of trodden dirt that led from the city to the bridge. He could tell that not many people traveled to Shantei. Again, he wondered why anyone would.

---

With his strength returned, Lexington set his sights on finding how he was no longer a Celestial, yet he didn't know where to start. All he knew was that he woke up in a desert and was two week's journey from the nearest city by boat. But even if he left, he wouldn't know where to go. Lexington sat in his bed, face in his palms, and sulked.

The sun began to set and Lexington realized that he wasted an entire day.

This is not the way a soldier of the Omnipotent is supposed to act. Lexington knew that he was better than that. I must find a way back home he told himself.

With his newfound resolve, Lexington stood up, headed towards his bedroom door, and opened it to find a short robust woman with short white hair, a wrinkled face, and wide set eyes. She held a tray of food and water.

"Hello, deary, my name is Anila, wife of Albeus. Are you hungry?"

Lexington paused a strangely large time before answering as if he didn't understand her language.

"I apologize, I'm still a bit dazed from everything. Thank you for your hospitality, I have yet to figure out how I am to repay you."

"Nonsense, deary" replied the elderly woman, "you'll come to know that the people of Shantei are a very welcoming and caring people."

"I already have that sense, thank you again." Lexington took the tray after bowing his head and headed towards his bed.

Anila sat herself on a stool by the door. "Mind if we talk a little?" she asked.

Lexington nodded while eating, realized how hungry he was.

"First of all, we haven't been properly introduced. Again, I am Anila, wife of Albeus and Lady of Shantei. Whom might you be?"

"Forgive me of manners, my lady. My name is Lexington."

"Lexington, nice to meet you. Where are you from?"

Lexington paused. He had no idea how this woman, a human, would deal with the truth. She may think him crazy. But what did it matter? He doesn't lie. He cannot lie.

"I am a Celestial with the rank of Seraph in the army of the Omnipotent. I am second to Mikel, the chief Seraph who is second only to Gavreel, the high Seraph."

Anila's eyes widened.

"Are you - you an angel?"

Lexington paused for a moment.

"I don't believe so."

Anila seemed sorrowful in an instant.

"Forgive me, deary. I have a vivid imagination."

Lexington smiled. "No apology necessary, my lady. Celestials do not live on this world although we visit on occasion. I don't remember how or why but I fell from my realm and ended up here."

"Why fall to earth?"


"Forgive me, my lady, but I do not know. The last thing I remember was being in the presence of my high Seraph, though I do not remember what we were doing."

"That is very interesting." Anila looked stunned. For a moment there was silence. It seemed as though Anila had no idea what to say. What could she say? She just met a Celestial, a soldier in the army of the Omnipotent. Of course, Lexington had no idea what to say either. He had never spoken to a human for this long on earth before.

"Can Celestials choose to be human?" Anila asked puzzled.

Lexington shared Anila's puzzled look.

"To be completely honest, I did not think it was possible. Unlike humans, Celestials do not have free will. We live to serve the Omnipotent unconditionally."

"It must be nice to know what you're meant to do with life."

It was the first time that Lexington had seen sadness in Anila's face. She stood up, brushed her dress down, and stood at the doorway.

"It was nice speaking with you, Lexington. I hope you find your way home."

"Thank you" Lexington replied.

After Anila left, he was surprised at how she made him feel. Empathy, was it? So many new emotions and sensations were only distracting Lexington from finding a way home. He didn't know where to go, but the Badlands was not the way. He knew he had to head towards the lands past the River Luildel.

---

Lexington had been in Shantei for a week now staying much longer that he had anticipated. He had familiarized himself with the small village and the various merchants and workers within it by offering any help he could in hopes to repay the kindness of Albeus and Anila. He had also made acquaintances with the children of the lord and lady of Shantei. The eldest was a man named Edalo, the second youngest was a woman named Enama, and the youngest was a girl named Edrith. Edalo was one of the sheepsman while Enama and Edrith helped their mother do much of the sowing of the wool from Edalo. Enama had just celebrated her 25th birthday, the age that Lexington seemed to be.

One thing that particularly stood out about Shantei was the beauty of the women. Even Anila in her elder years was very beautiful. Lexington found it hard to believe that out of all this beauty, Enama and Edrith were the most beautiful of all the women in the humble village. Enama constant talk of the village. Rumors spread that she would marry the richest traveler to visit and would bring more people to Shantei. Lexington was well aware of the strange customs of marriage that humans had although as a Celestial he had witnessed far worse customs in other places of the world.

On the night of Lexington's seventh day in Shantei, it was the first time that he heard yelling. It was late in the night. Strange he thought as most if not all were asleep. He stepped out to the balcony and could barely see the man that was yelling. He could tell it was Plourus, one of the few craftsmen of Shantei.

"Thief! THIEF!" Plourus proclaimed.

The sky could not be clearer that night. Lexington could tell due to how brightly the moon lit the scenery. He could see the silhouette of the alleged thief that was hopping across the rooftops. Lexington could not let this injustice slide. He leaped from the balcony and scaled his way down to the main floor. He dashed towards where he believed the thief would be although he was on the roofs of the homes of Shantei. He could hear the pounding of the culprit's feet on the clay. The thief leaped over and off a home nearest the village wall, but Lexington was able to cut him off.

"I cannot allow you to leave until you return what it is you have stolen." Lexington proclaimed.

The thief did not reply. His face was covered a dark veil and his entire body had been wrapped in the same garment. The material looked oddly familiar. Lexington noticed that the thief was probably figuring a way around. Lexington had grown quite familiar of the village and was doing the same.

The thief bobbed left, then spun right around Lexington. The thief's agility surprised Lexington. The thief leaped over the short wall and Lexington followed suit.

"Stop!" Lexington said. "All I want is the item returned, I need not know who you are!"

The thief was fast though Lexington had expected it due to the thief's agility, but he was growing tired of this game. He sped up with ease and tackled the thief to the ground. Lexington then stood up and grabbed what was a jar caste in gold.

"Forgive me if I caused you pain, but -"

The thief threw a kick at Lexington's leg and tripped him. He then went for the jar as it hit the ground, but Lexington quickly grabbed at what he could which ended up being the back of the thief's mask. The thief fell back as Lexington pulled the thief towards him. The thief's long hair had covered what appeared to be a woman's face. Lexington quickly stood the thief up and stepped back with the jar in hand upon realizing that it was Enama, the daughter of Albeus.

"Enama?! What are you doing? Your father is the richest man in this village, why would you steal?" Lexington asked, perplexed.

"I don't have to explain myself to you."

Lexington peered into her eyes. "That is true, but still. Because I know of what you've done, it would be wrong to go on saying nothing. I must tell your father."

"If you tell him then you condemn me to losing my hands!"

"You knew the consequences of your actions and yet you did them anyway. So I say again, why do this when you want for nothing?"

"Nothing? What I want is to leave this place! There is nothing for me here!"

"Then why don't you leave?"

"Because I can't."

"Why not?"

Enama dropped her gaze for the first time.

"Why not?" Lexington asked patiently.

"My father... he has plans for me."

"What plans?"

"You've heard the talk. You know the rumors. My father plans to trade me to the richest traveler so that he may receive more people and treasures in return. My father wishes for Shantei to be a gateway to the Badlands and not simply a mere stop."

Lexington was not surprised. Although he has yet to be Albeus, he had known him to be only kind and a good father.

"Enama, look, I have no say in how your father conducts his business or his family. I am but a stranger who your father showed kindness to in exchange for nothing. I am sorry that I cannot help you, but you must understand I will do what is right. I will not tell your father, however I must return the jar."

Tears filled Enama's eyes.

"I cannot allow you to keep the jar, I'm sorry" Lexington said regretfully.

"I need that jar. I need it to pay the traveler, Oheiman, to take me from here."

Worry set into Lexington. "How can you trust this stranger? How do you know they will not just enslave you the moment you leave?"

"I have no other choice."

"You must be more careful with the one life you have. Enama, I am not your father but I beg you to reconsider your options."

Enama continued to cry.

Lexington did not know what to do. Celestials were not trained to console, though at that moment he knew he was no longer a Celestial.

Enama suddenly stopped and looked into Lexington's eyes. She had an idea. And he feared it wasn't an option he would like.

"You could take me with you!"

"With me where?" Lexington already knew the answer to the question.

"Where you're going!"

"I do not know where I'm going."

"Anything but here is something for me, please, Lexington, I beg you."

"I cannot take you with me."

"I am not a child, Lexington. I am a woman and I can choose what I want to do with my life."

"Your father -"

"Doesn't have to know. Listen to me, I know what I'm doing. Besides, who would I be more safe with, a stranger or you?"

Lexington was baffled. He could not argue with her reasoning. He did not fear what Albeus would think but at the same time he could not wrong Albeus after the kindness he had shown him. He would tell Enama's father. Lexington could not lie.

"So?" Enama smugly asked.

Lexington looked confused.

Enama stepped closer and asked "Will you take me?"

Lexington paused and the sighed. "I cannot promise you anything."

Enama shrieked and wrapped her arms around him.

Among the many new feelings Lexington had experienced over his short time as a human, regret was the newest one. He sighed again.

---

After Lexington had returned the stolen jar to Plourus, he set to meet with Albeus, the lord of Shantei. Doing the right thing had never felt so terrible. Lexington felt as if he were betraying Enama, but telling Albeus of Enama's true feelings about her situation was the right thing to do.

Lexington met with Mardul, the head guardsman of Albeus. Mardul let him pass and Lexington stepped into Albeus work chamber for the first time. Albeus was a very tall man. He was fit for a man his age yet his elderly years were revealed through the many wrinkles in his face and hands. Albeus walked with a slight limp as he approached to greet Lexington.

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